LACHLAN WOODS (ACT) – PRESIDENT

Hello there! My name is Lachlan Woods, and I am delighted to be the President of OGAE Australia.

I fell in love with Eurovision at a very young age. I first watched it in 2009 and fell in love with Inga & Anush dancing the Jan-Jan, Hadise belly dancing, and Alexander Rybak fiddling along to a Fairytale win. Since then, I have religiously followed the contest ever since, leading up to joining OGAE Australia in 2018. 2020 was meant to be the first time I went to Eurovision in person, but of course things were not meant to be for all of us. My fingers are crossed (tightly!) that us poor Australians will be able to travel to Italy in 2022!

I can’t decide what my favourite song from Eurovision is, but it’s a toss-up between Loreen’s Euphoria - because it will always be a banger! - and Céline Dion’s Ne partez pas sans moi. However, my favourite moment would have to be seeing Duncan Laurence win for The Netherlands – as someone with Dutch heritage, it was amazing to see The Netherlands actually win the whole thing in my lifetime.

Outside of Eurovision, I am a lawyer for a federal government agency in Canberra. I play field hockey with the St Patrick’s Hockey Club in Canberra, having also been a Pride Ambassador for Hockey ACT. I can play the trumpet and piano, and also did community musical theatre and Schools Spectacular back in high school, which means I can sing (apparently - I do love karaoke).

I am excited to serve on the committee of OGAE Australia, a club that provided me with a place where I can geek out over a contest that brings people together, regardless of their background and life experiences. I hope to bring a future-focused and fresh perspective to the organisation (especially as the baby of the committee at the moment!) and a helping hand to make sure that this organisation serves all its members and its purpose. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions! See you around!